A LOVING wife whose husband died weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer is on a mission to get as many landmarks and buildings as possible across the country lit up purple to raise awareness.

Tina Assenheim, a 54-year-old from Westcliff, lost her husband Jason to pancreatic cancer in June 2018, less than two months after his diagnosis.

She wants to raise awareness of the disease as she says the death rate hasn’t changed in the last 40 years, adding more needs to be done.

Tina, who is now the official volunteer in Essex for Pancreatic Cancer UK, is on a mission to get as many buildings as possible in the country and across Essex lit up in November for the Purple Lights campaign.

She said: “So many people die so quickly as it is so hard to detect, which is why the charity is looking at early detection tests.

“The most important thing is to raise awareness and get as much funding as possible for the charity, so they can get early detection tests which will save so many lives, and could have saved my Jason.”

Purple Lights is a national campaign run by Pancreatic Cancer UK.

It sees landmarks and buildings across the UK light up purple to help raise awareness of the disease and to fight for more research.

The annual campaign takes place on World Pancreatic Cancer Day, which takes place on November 17 this year.

Jason’s shocking diagnosis came after he had complained of backache, which wasn’t uncommon for him as a bus driver.

Sadly, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after a number of tests on April 27 and lost his fight on June 23 – just weeks after he had turned 47.

Tina says: “I have already emailed 76 councils to try and get them to light up buildings purple.

“I have already got 15 buildings sorted. Last year I got 20, so I am hoping to smash that this year.

“We already have five buildings in Southend to be lit up, we have Clacton Pier, the Basildon sign, as well as places in Leeds, Ipswich and even Oxford Castle.

“I just want to get the message out to people, not just across Essex, but across the country.”

Alongside her campaign to turn Essex purple, Tina, from Westcliff, has been invited to go to Westminster to represent Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Tina will be going to Westminster alongside her mother-in-law, Evelyn Assenheim, the day before Pancreatic Cancer Day.

She will have the chance to speak to MPs about her story and why raising awareness of the disease is so important.

Tina added: “I am feeling nervous but happy and proud that I get the chance to do this, and that the charity want to go and raise awareness.

“I don’t know too much at the moment but all I know is I am going to be able to speak with MPs to tell my story.

“I will be able to raise that awareness and tell them why something needs to change.”